


Digital Film

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Series: Photos old and new [5]
Category: Batman (Comics), Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Gen, divergent canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 12:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17767118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: Ramona Winchester, as seen by Sam.





	Digital Film

1.

Sam Winchester is an uncle when he’s barely a teenager, but he’s grateful to no longer be the youngest. 

He smiles down at the baby and reaches into the little makeshift crib (it’s definitely a laundry basket lined with towels) and pokes Ramona’s nose. 

The baby wiggles, and he laughs. 

“Hi, Niece,” he says. 

2\. 

“Dean, she won’t stop crying!” 

“Dude, I get that it’s frustrating, but babies cry,” Dean snaps over the phone. He’s obviously in the middle of a hunt. Sam hears something go splat in the background and Dean grunts. 

“Well, what am I supposed to do?! I know even less about babies than you do!” 

Dean growls. “How cold out is it?” 

Sam frowns. “It’s not cold.” 

“Is it raining?” 

“No. Dean-” 

“Carry her outside, walk around, and sing Against the Wind by Bob Seger.” 

“What?!” 

“You want her to stop crying, that’s what works.” 

Sam sighs heavily, rubbing his eyes.

3\. 

They get left alone together a lot. Sam’s too old for a babysitter but too young to hunt, so he stays home with Ramona, changing diapers and making sure she eats and watching TV. 

He even takes her out a couple of times, which is kinda fun. At fifteen, he walk them to the ice cream stand right near their motel in Maryland to get her a treat. 

She’s blonde and green-eyed and sweet, and she means everything to Dean, and to Sam, too. On top of watching her master her motor skills being an excellent way to pass the time, at three years old, Ramona is also a total chick magnet. 

“Aw, cute,” a particularly pretty brunette gushes as she watches Ramona eat her chocolate custard happily. 

“She’s my niece,” Sam proclaims proudly. “My brother’s away on a job, so I’m babysitting.” 

He knows he’s got way more of a shot with the brunette when Ramona kindly offers Sam a rainbow sprinkle and he eats it enthusiastically. 

4\. 

Sam feels sick every time he thinks about Ramona getting shot in the belly; about the fact that their dad, who is supposed to be this great, experienced hunter--so good, so proficient--let this happen on his watch. He’s not sure what’s worse: watching Ramona’s tiny form in the hospital bed a few weeks ago, or watching Dean watch her.

It makes his decision to apply for college both easier and harder. He feels terrible about leaving Ramona behind. And Dean, for that matter. But he can’t stay. 

He stays up with her late at night when she’s hurting and can’t sleep, pulling her into his lap with a book, and starts to read. 

5\. 

Sam storms out of the house they’re staying at in a blind rage, duffel bag thrown over his shoulder, ready to just go. 

“You walk out that door, don’t you ever come back!” his father had snarled. 

He can hear Dean shouting from just inside. 

“Ramona! Princess, come back!” 

She’s five now. Quiet and she doesn’t cause much trouble, except now when she tears out the door after Sam, looking scared. 

“Are you really leaving without saying g’bye?” 

Sam deflates. What else can he do? He squeezes his eyes shut and looks at the ground before bounding over to her and kneeling down in front of her. “Of course not, kiddo. I’d never do that.” 

Dean stops behind her, as Sam gathers her into a tight hug. 

“You be good for your dad, okay?” Sam says, kissing the side of her head. “And you look out for him. Cuz God knows your Gramps could give a shit.” 

“Sammy, come on,” Dean scolds him. 

Sam gets to his feet and hugs his brother tightly. “Be careful out there, okay? And take care of Ramona.” 

Dean hugs him back. It’s a long moment of silence before Sam pulls away and starts to walk backwards. 

“At least let me drive you to the bus station,” Dean says. 

“I’m good,” Sam tells him. “I’ll see you around.” With that, he turns to start heading forward. It’s hard to listen to Ramona sniffle behind him, but he keeps walking.

 

6\. 

He tells Jessica and his friends that he has a deeply complicated relationship with his family.

But for the next three years, Sam calls Dean’s phone on October 18th at 5 pm.

Jessica is there when he does it for her eighth birthday, sitting in the student center, studying when the alarm on his cell phone goes off. 

“What is that for?” Jess asks, smiling curiously. 

Sam shakes his head and dials quickly. “Hey!” he says when Dean picks up. “Put her on.” 

He knows that Jessica can hear Dean’s deep voice say “You gotta phone call, Princess.” 

Ramona’s voice is a little different than last year. Not as timid. More excited. “Hello?” 

When Sam starts singing, he watches Jessica hold back a delighted laugh. 

“Happy birthday to you  
Happy birthday to you.  
Happy birthday Ramona  
Happy birthday to you.” 

After a short conversation about how school is and how Dean and Dad are, Sam says his goodbyes and hangs up. 

“That’s so sweet,” Jessica smiles at him. “Was that your niece?” 

“Yeah, she’s eight today,” Sam tells her. He sits back, feeling thoughtful. “I miss her. And my brother.” 

“Maybe you should call more often,” she suggests. 

He sighs softly. “Maybe.” 

7\. 

They trek up to Bobby Singer’s place in Sioux Falls after Jessica’s death, and Sam’s barely in the door before Ramona has literally jumped up to hug him around the neck. 

He hugs her back tightly, both arms around her. She’s gonna be nine in a month, and she’s getting older, which is strange, but nice. 

“I’m sorry, Uncle Sammy,” she says, and he sighs deeply, and keeps the hug going.

8.

Their favorite motel movies are definitely the Indiana Jones trilogy, but mostly the first one and the last one.

They get burgers and fries and milkshakes and they hunker down on slow nights to watch one. 

Sam remembers when Ramona was little enough to curl up on his chest and nap while he’d watch these movies. He also remembers that one time when Ramona had freaked out about being blonde like Elsa the Nazi meaning she was a Nazi, too. 

He smiles to himself as he eats a fry. 

“What’s funny?” Dean asks with a mouthful of burger. 

Sam just grins and ruffles Ramona’s hair gently. “Nothin.” 

9\. 

When Dean’s deal comes due, Ramona is eleven. 

Sam will never forgive himself for the way things go down the morning after. They’d left Ramona at Bobby’s, and Sam comes back with his brother’s dead body in the Impala’s trunk. 

And Ramona is devastated. She can’t stop crying, and Sam gets it. But she turns on him the second he mentions burying Dean. 

She yells at him. “You can’t bury Daddy, we have to burn him!” 

“This is my decision to make, Ramona,” Sam tells her firmly. “You don’t get a say.” 

“Daddy would never want to be buried!” Ramona cries. 

“Ramona-” 

“We have to burn him!” she yells. “You can’t- you can’t just put him in the ground, you can’t!” 

He loses his cool when she tries to shove him. He stumbles back, and, out of reflex, slaps her across the face, sending her to the floor. 

“Sam, what the hell!?” Bobby growls. 

Sam reaches down and Ramona attempts to struggle away from him, but he grabs her arm, pulling her to her feet. 

“Listen to me,” he snaps, and then yells when she keeps struggling, her face red where his hand had landed. “Listen to me! We are not burning your dad. I have a plan. You have to trust me, Ramona. You have to trust me.” 

She dissolves into tears again, and he hugs her close. 

“You have to trust me.” 

10.

It takes a long time for them to come back from that. 

Between Sam choosing to follow Ruby’s lead, leaving Ramona with Bobby, and then all the lies that both Dean and Sam tell after that…

Well. 

Really, it’s not until they walk into the Supernatural convention, lured by Becky, that Sam and Ramona really, truly start to trust each other again. 

Mostly because Ramona can’t seem to stop laughing.

“It’s not that funny,” Sam complains. 

“Oh, come on,” Ramona teases, smiling at him. She’s literally just turned thirteen a month ago, meaning she’s officially the age Sam was when she was born. 

Which is weird.

Sam shakes his head, as they look over, watching Becky as she licks her hand and blows it his way.

Sam’s stomach turns, while Ramona bursts into giggles. 

“Not funny,” Sam grouses. 

“Pretty funny,” Ramona argues. “Hey - do you think if you have sex with her, she’ll die?” 

“Ra- what?!” 

“It’s happened twice! She’s like the perfect girl to test the hypothesis with,” Ramona comments. “Nobody will miss her.” 

Sam’s jaw clenches as he tries not to laugh. “I should ground you.” 

“You lost grounding rights when Daddy found out you slapped me,” Ramona reminds him.

Sam goes quiet, watching the teen carefully as she glances back at Becky, and then at the Shirley Temple in front of her. “Hey.” 

She looks at him curiously. 

“We...we never really talked about that day,” Sam says. “We never...I never got a chance to say I’m sorry.” 

They sit in silence for a long moment, as he looks her in the eyes. 

“No matter what I was going through, that was wrong,” he goes on. “And it never shoulda happened. I wasn’t there for you, and I’ve been kicking myself since. From now on, you’ve got me in your corner. For always. Okay?” 

Ramona stares at him, looking vulnerable before they hug tightly, and he strokes her hair back gently. 

Whatever happens. With God and Lucifer and the Angels and whatever the hell else comes their way, they have each other.

11\. 

She’s almost eighteen when they realize that the Mark of Cain has turned Dean into a demon.

“We could trade, Moose,” Crowley suggests. “I’ll give you your Squirrel back if you hand over the blonde.” 

Crowley apparently isn’t expecting to get punched. Which is just as well, because it means he goes down like a ton of bricks.

12.

There are times - not very many, but there are times - when Sam gets sick of Dean and the bunker and Cas and just...all of it.

This happens Ramona’s second year in culinary school, and he finds himself pulling up to the restaurant she works at. Parking his car, and stepping inside, looking around. It’s homey, but in a slightly upscale kind of way. The tables and chairs and booths are a deep, cherry wood, and the lighting is on the low side. 

Jackson’s is way, way nicer than any backwater dive or 24/7 diner he and Dean ever took her to.

“Hi, there!” the hostess is cheerful. “How can I help you?” 

“Uh...table for one, I guess,” Sam says awkwardly. “Actually, is- can I just sit at the bar?” 

“Of course!” the hostess nods. “Please, help yourself to a seat.” 

It’s a relatively slow night at the restaurant; a Wednesday, and it’s easy for Sam to grab a corner stool. 

The bartender is an older woman. Her hair is black and spiked, a little like Dean’s but shorter.

“Hi there, handsome,” she says, handing him a menu. “Getcha a drink?” 

“Stella Artois?” Sam asks, relishing in the fact that his brother can’t rag on him for his beer choice. “And...is Ramona Winchester working tonight?” 

The bartender nods. “Yep. She’s in the back.” 

“No, right, of course,” Sam nods. “Yeah, she would be. That’s…” He smiles proudly “Of course she is.” 

The bartender lifts an eyebrow. “How do you know Ro?” 

Sam smiles still. “She’s my niece, actually.” 

The woman lights up, any trace of suspicion clearing from her face. “Well, hell. She said her family lived far.” 

“No, we do,” Sam says. “But I’m just passing through.” 

“I can go get her.” 

“No, no, she’s working,” Sam insists. “Although if you don’t mind me hanging out here, I can catch her once her shift is over.” 

“You got it,” the bartender grins as she settles his beer in front of him.

He thanks her, takes a sip and takes a look at the menu. Among the fancier offerings are more homey dishes; more like things Ramona would try out in the bunker’s kitchen before she moved away.

Sam has to laugh when he gets to the specials list. The first being an angus beef burger with aged cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, a “secret sauce,” pickles, onions, a slice of tomato and a fried egg, served with a side salad of spinach, avocado, tomatoes, red onions and pumpkin seeds with an olive oil lime dressing. 

“‘The 3 AM Hunter’s special,’” Sam reads aloud. 

“Been real popular today,” the bartender comments. “Mark - the owner, Mark - he wasn’t sold on the side salad, but people have been tearing through it.” 

“Count me in,” Sam smiles. 

13\. 

Sam might like Ramona’s boyfriend less than Dean does. 

He winds up staying in Gotham for a couple of days. He sent Dean a text with a photo of the dinner special named for them, and then let him know he’d be a while. Dean demanded Sam give Ramona a kiss from him, and to also bring him back one of those burgers, but not the salad.

And now, Sam is sitting in a different restaurant the next afternoon, across from Ramona and some raven-haired skinny guy who is clearly not at all good enough for her.

“So...uh...Mr. Winchester.” 

“You can call him Sam,” Ramona says. 

“Mr. Winchester is good,” Sam corrects her, and it earns him that fiery look Ramona gets in her eyes when she’s well and truly pissed at one of them.

“Right,” Tim says. 

If that’s his real name.

Who is this guy? Sam wishes he’d brought his laptop. He needs to research this idiot and make sure he’s not a monster. 

Or a politician. 

“What do you do for a living?” Tim asks. 

“Me?” Sam grins. “I kill things for a living.” 

“Odd jobs,” Ramona snaps quickly. “He does odd jobs. He doesn’t actually kill things. That’s crazy.” 

Tim takes a sip of water. He no longer looks nervous. In fact, he looks like he’s sizing Sam up now. “What kind of odd jobs?” 

“Odd ones,” Ramona says. 

The spark in Tim’s eye tells Sam that this is gonna be fun. Maybe not for Ramona, but definitely for him. And possibly for the kid.

14\. 

Dean’s right of course. Causing Ramona more pain, telling her what they’re up to, that they’re probably going to really actually die this time…

It would just hurt her. 

But Sam’s gotta find some way to say goodbye. He wasn’t allowed to leave without a goodbye the first time, he can’t imagine trying that again.

So he sits at their research table in the bunker, while Dean is still outside. Pen in hand, paper in front of him, and he writes. 

_Dear Ramona -_

_By now, Cas has come by with the news that we’re gone. And I’m sorry about that. I know you’re probably pissed, but this was your dad’s call. He didn’t want you involved in any of this. He wanted to spare you as much as he could. We both did._

_But I couldn’t go without saying something, so here goes._

_We didn’t always do right by you, and I’m sorry. I know that things were hard, and scary, and sad, and that we lost a lot of people, and ourselves a lot of the time, and you had to sit back and watch._

_I know a little about what that’s like, but your dad and I are a real specific kind of stupid, so it was probably turned up to eleven._

_Now that the apologies are out of the way, what I really want you to know is this:_

_You are awesome._

_Dean talks about raising you being the best thing he ever did, and helping in that process has probably been my best thing. Watching you grow up into a capable, competent adult has been terrifying, and cool, and weird, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything._

_It’s not going to seem like it at first, but your life is going to move forward without us. You’re gonna do such great things. I don’t know what they are, but I know you, and I know you’re amazing. So there’s only one outcome._

_No matter what happens next, know that even if I’m not there, I’ll always be in your corner._

_Love you, Kiddo.  
Uncle Sammy_

He stuffs the letter into an envelope, and stuffs that into the glove box in the Impala. It’ll stay there for a couple of years before Ramona finds it.

But she finds it when she needs to. And Sam wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
